Dinner is over and the whole evening looms ahead, the question is what do we do now? The family room is the one room in our home where we gather as a group and enjoy each other’s company watching TV, playing games, doing homework and catching up. Many of the things we use for those activities live in this room but we don’t want an environment of utter chaos staring us in the face every time we walk by. The key to enjoying the room is organization!
Take the time to de-clutter the room. Start in one corner and work around the room going through everything.
- If you have books that you know you will never look at again then out they go. Sort through magazines and papers and recycle the ones that are not useful anymore.
- Go through the board games and if they are missing pieces that you can’t replace, recycle them or if they are games that have been outgrown by your family, donate them.
- That same thought goes for movies and video games. If you realize you will not watch a movie again or it is a game the family has out grown then pass it on to someone who will appreciate it.
- Craft supplies can live in a closet in another room or if there is the space you can keep them in your family room but divide the supplies and keep them in separate containers so that they are easier to get out and use. No one wants to dig through a box of supplies where you can’t find the one thing you need!
- Take everything in your hand if you don’t love it pass it on to someone who will! Don’t let items take up space in your home if they aren’t something you treasure or need.
Buying multi-functional pieces for your houses will make the task of putting things in their place much easier.
- Start with the basics and invest in a good quality sofa, sectional or chairs. It is said that buying the best quality you can afford will give you furniture that will grow with your family.
- Once you have seating then look at adding the coffee, end tables and storage pieces. A great ottoman with a lift off lid or a coffee table with drawers will provide a great place for little toys to hide. Clean up is a breeze if you can throw everything in a drawer quickly if guests drop by.
- A shelving unit is a great idea that gives you lots of storage. Books will fit on the shelves and can also be arranged in piles to add interest. Decorative boxes with lids are perfect places to stash movies or craft supplies and they are hidden from view.
- Look for a buffet or credenza with closed shelving in order to keep board games, extra photos and video games corralled.
- A basket or box on your ottoman is great to contain remote controls.
- Your favorite pictures can be framed and placed on the open shelves of the bookcases to add a decorative feature and they can be mixed with accessories that you have collected along your journey so the room becomes personal to you!
